Dreaming Of Oceans While Jumping In Puddles
by JustAGryffindork
Summary: Montparnasse had never approved me of Eponine's obsession over Marius Pontmercy, though refuses to admit his obvious jealousy. Rated T for a bit of bad language.
1. Un

Eponine sat in a daydream as her father and members of the Patron-Minette planned their next robbery, which she had over-heard was scheduled for the fast approaching night. She rarely partook in robberies, she was simply left to watch out for the police; a job she didn't mind doing. Her short day-dream was only interrupted by Montparnasse, who snapped his fingers in front of her face in an attempt to get her attention.

"Day-dreamin' about that Pontmercy bloke again, are we?'' he questioned, scoffing slightly as he spoke.

Eponine promptly snapped out of her day dream at soon as he uttered the name 'Pontmercy'. She understood and her chances with Marius were very low, yet she couldn't help herself from feeling the way she did; there was just something about him that made her feel safe for once.

"That Pontmercy bloke happens to be called Marius, actually… he's a student, so he is…'' she replied, with a 'matter of fact' tone in her voice, getting lost in her own words. " and yes, maybe I was day-dreaming about about him, what difference would it make to you?'' Eponine continued boldly, cocking her head vaguely.

Montparnasse knew that Eponine certainly wasn't the prettiest girl in Paris, but he was aware of the power he held over her; fear. She would never step out of line, in trepidation of the consequences. Montparnasse was barely considered as an adult, yet he had already been involved in a growing series of robberies and murders.

"If you were sensible, you'd probably stop stalking the lad and stop driveling on about him at every opportunity that arises…" he retorted enthusiastically, rolling his eyes once. "and if he's a student, don't you think he's a student, what would he be doing wasting his time with you? Obviously a waste of your own time as well, I say" Montparnasse proceeded mockingly, raising an eyebrow at Eponine.

She was used to being mocked my Montparnasse, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the time he jibed about her looks or her intelligence, which she had learned to put up with over the years.

"I don't stalk him!" Eponine replied defensively, cringing at his comment and realizing that the words had came out in a tone that sounded slightly angry. "Its not a waste of anyone's time, for your information! I would call it more of a… work in progress" she stated jokingly, laughing a little as she spoke.

His words made her think about things in a different light. Why would Marius waste his time with a poor girl like her?; Why would anyone waste their time with a poor girl like her? Anyway, Marius had Cosette and they were perfectly happy; France's answer to 'Barbie and Ken'.

Montparnasse shook his head at her feeble explanation. "Work in progress, my arse!" he replied, laughing along with her. It didn't take him long to realize how out of place Eponine's laughter was, most of the time she stayed quiet and looked rather solemn. He thought it would be better to set her straight; the laughter fell silent and he kept a straight face.

"Listen here, you idiotic bitch. People like us are considered the scum of the street. Don't get you're fucking hopes up." Montparnasse whispered in a low monotone, with a threatening look in her eyes. He knew that his word choice had probably offended her, not that it mattered.

The look on Eponine's face dropped almost instantly and she found herself hanging her head to look at the floor to prevent herself from looking at Montparnasse's eyes. The thing that hurt the most was knowing that what he said was probably accurate.

Monparnasse looked at her facial expression, which overwhelmed him with a feeling of guilt for causing it. She was happy merely minutes before, and now she was back to normal.

"Come here, you broad" he said, smiling slightly and pulling her into his embrace.

Eponine didn't object, resting her forehead on his left shoulder though keeping her own arms by her sides. "Do you really think I'm that hopeless?" she asked, feeling tears welling up in her eyes and struggling to speak without her voice cracking. Usually Eponine would act as though nothing fazed her, but the possibility that she would have no chance with Marius was like a dagger through her heart.

"Absolutely" Montparnasse replied cold-heartedly, stroking her hair softly.

Eponine gave no response. The two of them stood there in silence for a few moments until they were interrupted.

"Right you two, no heavy petting" Claquesous joked, grinning.

Eponine laughed slightly, shaking her head at his comment.

"Shut it" she replied jokingly, shoving him feebly.


	2. Deux

Eponine and her fathers gang left the pathetic excuse for a room as nightfall approached. The robbery that was scheduled was about to go underway. She stood outside the targeted house with her hands in her jacket pockets, glancing over her shoulder to check the adjacent street for police every so often. The cold wind whistled through the trees, sending a shiver down her spine.

Meanwhile, inside the empty house, the Patron Minette were busy rioting through someone's possessions, taking the things that they would get a good price for.

"What did I tell you lot about keeping quiet'' Thenardier complained, sighing loudly.

"Shut it, you bastard" Montparnasse commented under his breath, not intending to be heard.

"What was that? Go, just leave. You're hopeless. Eponine's out there anyway" Thenardier retorted, losing his patience slightly.

Montparnasse sighed loudly, like a child about to take a tantrum and stuffed the things he had taken into his pockets before leaving. The atmosphere was colder than he had first thought, causing him to grit his teeth.. He was confused as to why they had gotten rid of him, he'd hardly said anything too insulting and nothing out of the ordinary. His thought was only interrupted by the familiar silhouette of Eponine Thernardier standing at the opposite end of the street.

"Eponine!" he called, briskly walking towards her.

Eponine looked around for a few moments before finding where the originated. She spotted Montparnasse approaching her, though he looked like more of a shadow than a man.

"Are you not freezing out here?" Montparnasse asked, gripping his own arms and shuddering quietly as he exhaled.

Eponine laughed slightly at his question. "Man up! Its only cold for the first half hour or so, then its just numbness" she replied, shrugging her shoulders once.

Over the years, she had learned to withstand the numbing cold, despite her meager clothing. When she was younger, she didn't have to worry about being cold or hungry as her parents fussed over her and Azelma while the left their brothers to fend for themselves. Everything had been downhill ever since her parents lost the inn.

Montparnasse tutted at her surprisingly calm demeanor, shivering again. "God, I hope one of us catches hypothermia and dies just to make the rest of them feel guilty" he joked, moving closer to her.

"Honestly, I don't think any of them would feel guilty if either of us died" Eponine replied, glancing around the corner again.

"I would care if you died…probably" Montparnasse countered, putting an arm around her shoulders. "or we could just share body heat" he hinted, leaning dangerously close to her with a smirk across his face.

Eponine glared at him disapprovingly. He had forced her into this situation previously, and she wasn't about to give in without a fight.

"I'm sure removing clothing wont keep either of us warm" she responded, stepping slightly further away from him.

"Man up!" Montparnasse replied, using the phrase that Eponine had formerly said to his own advantage, letting his hands wander her body.

After a while of urging from him, she simply let him have his way as she knew that if she resisted much longer he would cause her indescribable pain, both physically and mentally. If she closed her eyes she could imagine he was Marius, which made the general experience much more pleasant, though she knew that Marius would never intentionally hurt her in such a way and she accepted the fact that the chances of Marius ever touching her the way Montparnasse did we highly unlikely.


	3. Trois

Eponine sat with her back against a wall in silence, her face emotionless and her eyes empty. This feeling was familiar to her, as it reoccurred every time after Montparnasse had used her for his own personal pleasures. She took time to think about how the quality of her life had deteriorated over the years.

"So this is what it sounds like when you're not talking gibberish about Marius…" Montparnasse commented, laughing at his own cruel joke. Watching her glare at him with cold eyes.

Eponine's constant drivel about Marius irritated him, though he had never understood why. Montparnasse knew that he didn't love her - or at least he didn't think so - but he acknowledged a regular feeling of envy whenever Eponine mentioned Marius, though he would never admit it to anyone this side of the grave.

Merely moments later, Thenardier, Claquesous, Babet and Gueulemer joined them in the street, with stolen belongings stuffed in their pockets. Eponine stood up as they began to walk back; she walked at the back of the group, a few meters behind the them, hanging her head to watch her feet kick the soil as she walked. Montparnasse glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow before slowing his own walking to let her catch up with him.

"What's wrong with you?" he questioned, kicking her ankle gently and putting an arm around her shoulders.

She simply looked up at his face with piercing eyes, shaking her head.

"Why are you such a two-faced bastard?" Eponine replied boldly, drawing the attention of Babet, though she gestured that he continue walking, which he did.

She was telling the truth when she mentioned him being two-faced, that was one of the many things that she despised about him. One minute he would be her friend, and the next he would be bombarding her with insults.

"Excuse me?" Montparnasse retorted, looking at her with a stern expression; not quite believing what she had called him. "I think you should watch what you say, for your own sake!" he threatened, gritting his teeth and curling his hands into fists.

Eponine twitched slightly in fear of him as she watched his hands, but she wasn't going to let fear take control of her as it usually did.

"See, still no answer because you know I'm right, don't you?" she said, shaking her head as she spoke.

Montparnasse uncurled on of his hands and immediately slapped Eponine across her face, causing her to flinch in pain. Eponine didn't make a sound as she closed her eyes tightly, in a failed attempt to decrease the level of stinging pain.

He looked at her in pity, as the well known feeling of guilt that he couldn't deny bewildered him once again. Montparnasse knew that anger was something that he couldn't control, though the main impact went to Eponine. Whenever he was even slightly angry, he would take it out on her as a way of stress relief considering that she wouldn't dare to fight back.

"Sorry, you didn't deserve that" Montparnasse stated, sounding genuinely remorseful.

"Doesn't matter, I've known you for long enough to know not to aggravate you" Eponine replied half-heartedly, her voice emotionless.

She knew that Montparnasse was a force to be reckoned with, and that fact scared her. He was dangerous, similar to everyone else in her life, with the exception of Marius.

"Do you try to make me feel terrible, or is it an unintentional thing?" Eponine continued, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"I don't really know how to answer that…" he replied, surprised that he didn't have a quick-witted answer.

"I don't really know how to answer that" Eponine lowered her voice, mimicking him.

Montparnasse shook his head with a slight laugh as he heard Eponine's failed attempt at sounding like him. She did the strangest things at times.

"Two can play at that game" he stated, smiling widely at her. Montparnasse coughed once, clearing his throat before he spoke. "Wow, isn't Marius totally amazing! He's just so brilliant and he's a student, isn't that just the most extra-ordinary thing!" he mocked, keeping a surprisingly straight face.

Eponine laughed loudly, clapping her hands. She debated with herself as to whether she should mention him being to faced, considering the last five minutes were a prime example. Merely minutes ago, he was angry at her. After some thought, she decided that it was best that she didn't mention it again, for her own sake.

"I don't to on about Marius that much!" she protested, folding her arms.

"I think we can safely say, you're obsessed" he concluded, nodding his head.

"Well, if you want to know something genuinely interesting about him…" Eponine began, as she told him all the things that she knew at Marius, which made her rather proud of herself.

Montparnasse thought to himself, not really paying attention to what she was saying and occasionally nodding his head, to make Eponine believe that up was. He didn't understand why she was so obsessed and why she had sat her aim so high, considering that Marius was several class systems above her.

"Just don't get you're hopes to high, ok?" he interrupted, looking in her eyes.

"Ok…" Eponine replied, slightly confused by what he had said.


	4. Quatre

Eponine sped up her walking pace, in a failed attempt to catch up with the remainder of her fathers gang as Montparnasse walked a few meters behind her. She didn't understand why she tried to catch up with them, no one would be looking for her. No doubt they would prefer it if she didn't return, one less mouth to feed. Eponine peered over her shoulder briefly, noticing Montparnasse still trailing behind her.

"Keep up!" she called jokingly, stopping and turning around to look at him.

"Can't be bothered!" Montparnasse's replied, raising his head and shrugging his shoulders once.

Montparnasse continued walking at the same pace until he eventually caught up with Eponine. He had started to get used to the icy breeze, though his hands had already started to numb. Montparnasse put an arm around her shoulders, though she shrugged it off.

"What the matter with you?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Nothing" Eponine replied almost instantly, shaking her head.

"Aye, whatever" Montparnasse retorted quietly, sighing slightly.

Montparnasse watched Eponine as she walked, focusing on her solemn expression. Usually her feelings never concerned him, but recently they had, which he didn't expect nor understand. In the past few days, he had felt pity for her which he never experienced previously. Montparnasse was sure that he didn't love Eponine, but he was scared that his feelings were becoming more than friendly. Besides, dandies could never fall in love.

They continued to walk in silence, until Montparnasse noticed a middle class looking man, knowing that he could pick his pocket as he had done since a young age. Montparnasse nudged Eponine's arm to get her attention, before pointing him out to her. Eponine nodded her head, and walked over to the man, making mindless small-talk about the weather with him as a distraction. Montparnasse carefully slipped his hand in the back pocket of the mans jacket and pulled it back out without a sound before walking slightly further away. Moments later, Eponine was able to break the conversation and she walked back over to where Montparnasse was standing.

"Any joy?" she asked, approaching him.

"One franc" he replied, laughing slightly.

"Well, its better than nothing" Eponine responded, shrugging her shoulders once.

After another few minutes of walking they returned to the room which the Thernardiers and the Patron Minette stayed. Eponine walked in a sat down next to Azelma silently whereas Montparnasse sauntered over to where Thenardier was standing. Thenardier looked round at them.

"Its only you two" Thenardier stated, sighing vaguely.

"That isn't a very nice way to greet people" Montparnasse replied mockingly,

"Listen boy, you're already on my last nerve, don't try to act smart or you'll be sorry…" Thenardier threatened, drawing everone's attention and causing Eponine to stifle a laugh. "its not a threat; it's a promise" he continued, with a serious disposition.

Montparnasse stayed silent and sat down next to where Eponine and Azelma were sitting as everyone returned to what they were doing before.

"You bricked it!" Azemla stated, laughing slightly.

"Yeah, so would the both of you if you were on the receiving end of it" Montparnasse retorted defensively.

"Fair enough" Eponine responded with a slight laugh, shrugging her shoulders.

Montparnasse smiled softly, looking at Eponine for a few moments. She was different, she understood him and he understood her which not many people did. Montparnasse thought of how he had changed over the years and how it had effected the people in his life, especially Eponine. Once again, he was overwhelmed with the well known sense of guilt that had plagued his mind in recent weeks.

Montparnasse thought to himself…

_She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you,_

_She can ask for the truth, but she'll never believe you,_

_She'll take what you give her as long as its free,_

_She steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me._

**The quote at the end is from She's Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel**


	5. Cinq

Hours had passed, and many of the people in the room were drunk. The musty stench of alcohol was the only scent. Everyone sat in a group, commenting on the ever-changing topic of conversation. Claquesous tried in vain to stand up, though ended up staggering over after a few seconds, causing them to laugh at his failed attempt.

"You, monsieur, are drunk" Eponine laughed, shaking her head as she watched him.

"And you, mademoiselle, are ugly" Claquesous replied in a ridiculing tone, laughing at his own cruel joke.

"I'm aware" she retorted, nodding her head in agreement.

Eponine tried her best to laugh along with the remarks that were made to make a fool out of her, despite the slight hurt that she felt. She knew what was said was a true fact that she had learned to accept, but it still irritated her to be reminded of it.

"Sarcastic, are we?" Babet interrupted, still laughing at Claquesous' remark.

"What she is lacking in intelligence, she makes up for in sarcasm and stupidity" Montparnasse stated, causing a roar of laughter to erupt.

The relentless jibes continued for a while, though Eponine didn't take any of their remarks to heart…or at least she tried not to. She was used to being mocked, so over the years she had taught herself to ignore what they said about her, whether it was accurate or not.

"So, have you lot heard any news about the revolution?" Eponine interjected, in an attempt at changing the subject.

"Revolution? More like a suicide mission" Azelma commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Well said…the national guardsmen will have advanced weapons, not to mention over double the numbers of those idiotic revolutionaries. No doubt they'll all die a painful death" Montparnasse added bluntly, speaking in a monotone.

The expression on Eponine's face changed almost instantly. She was aware that Marius would taking part in the revolution, which had worried her. Montparnasse's words make her think about the possible effects that the revolution could have. Her mind was flooded with unanswerable questions; Would Marius live thought the ordeal? ; How would she cope if he didn't?

"Surely some of them will live, right?" Eponine said, her tone of voice shaking as she spoke and her eyes threatening to cry.

"Don't count on it" Babet responded coldly, looking at her.

Eponine looked away from the group, letting a tear slip from her eyes. She knew that they were right; the students and rebels had no chance against the national guardsmen, though she had tried to convince herself otherwise to prevent herself from worrying, which had never worked.

Montparnasse watched her intensively. He knew exactly why she was upset. He had heard her speak of Marius Pontmercy as though he was a God on earth, which aggravated him more than anything he had ever encountered. Montparnasse knew in the back of his mind why he hated the mention of Marius, though he could hardly admit it to himself, never mind to anyone else.

The topic of conversation had moved on, as Thenardier had started telling a story of a house he had robbed years before.

"You ok?" Montparnasse asked quietly, leaning closer to Eponine.

"I'm fine" Eponine replied, drying her eyes quickly.

"Don't lie to me, I know you too well" he responded, pulling her into a hug.

Eponine didn't mind when he hugged her, no one ever showed her any form of affection except from Montparnasse. He certainly wasn't Marius, but he was better than nothing. She was confused by him, it was almost as if he had multiple personalities.

"We're not saying that he is definitely going to meet an end if the revolution goes ahead, we're just saying that its more than likely…" he explained, realizing that his word choice would probably would only make her more depressed.

"Surprisingly, that doesn't help the situation" she replied, her voice cracking slightly though it was hardly noticeable as her words sounded slightly muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder.

Montparnasse laughed slightly.

"I just don't think he's worth crying over" he stated, as he stroked her hair.

Eponine thought for a moment. In a way, she knew that Montparnasse was right in a sense that she shouldn't cry over it, but it couldn't be helped; Marius meant too much to her.

"Maybe you're right" Eponine responded half-heartedly.

Montparnasse didn't reply, he simply held her. He couldn't help but feel pity for her, but he was unsure if pity was the only emotion. They had known each other for years before Marius was ever in the picture, though the unexpected feelings towards Eponine that he had been experiencing hadn't been known until now. Montparnasse wasn't sure if the feelings were genuine or simply caused by jealousy, and he would rather choosing his words carefully, than get himself into any bother with something he could eventually regret.


	6. Six

The morning arrived quicker than normal. Eponine had hardly slept, as she was too worried about the revolutionaries and most of all Marius. She hadn't a clue when the revolution was scheduled, but she knew it would be occurring soon as she had heard talk about the barricade building shortly after the news of General Lamarque's death had reached her. Eponine walked to the park, where she suspected Marius could be found at that time.

She was correct. Eponine watched him from afar, smiling stupidly to herself. She never quite understood what it was about Marius that she loved, but she knew that she loved him; she always had.

"Marius!" Eponine called, approaching him.

"Good morning" he replied, smiling softly.

Eponine recognized the smile that he gave her, it was almost mesmerizing. She just stared at him for a moment, until she realized that he looked slightly confused then she snapped out of her slight trance.

"You ok?" Marius asked with a vague laugh, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the situation.

"Yep, what are you doing out and about this early?" She questioned, though she was almost certain that she knew his answer already but hoped she was wrong.

"Waiting for Cosette; her and her father usually pass by here" He replied, looking around briefly before turning his attention back to Eponine.

"Brilliant, I'll leave you to it then" she responded half-heartedly, beginning to walk away slowly.

Eponine felt her heart sink rapidly. The way his face lit up at the mention of Cosette was utterly heartbreaking. She understood that Marius didn't know how much it hurt her when he talked of Cosette, but of course she couldn't let him know; she would rather save herself from the embarrassment that she would face, considering there would be no way in hell that the feelings would be mutual. She turned the corner, seeing the familiar figure of Montparnasse; he seemed to be everywhere.

"Where did you go? I've been looking for you" he asked, walking to her.

"What difference does it make you to you?" Eponine retorted harshly.

"I got bored" Montparnasse replied jokingly, trying in vain to lighten her mood.

Eponine didn't respond.

He never understood why she acted so cold towards him at times; he never had. Montparnasee had always found Eponine the most confusing human being that he had ever encountered, yet he had never stopped trying to figure her out, as he knew that it would be a waste of his time.

"Let me guess; you're upset because you can't stalk Marius today, because he's too busy stalking Cosette?"

"Exactly…and for the last time, I do not stalk him!" Eponine replied defensively, scowling at him. "All he does is talk about her" she continued, her face falling back to its natural solemn expression.

"Yeah, you've told me that before. I'm not here to listen to you're sob stories, I've got my own cross to carry as well you know" he responded almost instantly.

He was beginning to hate the mention of Marius. Montparnasse was angered by the way Marius toyed with Eponine's feelings, even if he wasn't aware of it. He knew that Eponine had no intention to do anything about her feelings towards Marius either, just as he had no intention about doing anything about his slight feelings towards Eponine, so he knew that he had no right to criticize anyone.

"Who said anything about crosses?" Eponine asked, with a genuinely confused look on her face.

"It's a metaphor, I don't literally go about carrying a cross" Montparnasse explained, laughing slightly as he spoke.

"Well, I can add that to my list of things I learned today" she joked, shrugging her shoulders once.

Eponine didn't know why Montparnasse had showed a different side to himself, which was like a totally different person in the way he treated her; despite his familiar sarcastic remarks. She definitely preferred his new and improved self to what he had been like before, she simply couldn't understand his rapid change. Though she had felt a slight change in herself as well, which only confused her more about the situation.

She thought to herself...

_I've heard it said, that people come into our lives for a reason,_

_bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow,_

_if we let them, and we help them in return._

_I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you._

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better,_

_but because I knew him, I have been changed for good._

* * *

><p><strong>The lyrics at the end are <em>borrowed <em>from 'Wicked', though intentionally mixed them up slightly just so they'd make sense.**


	7. Sept

The barricade was built; the guns were loaded. Everyone was aware of what was going to happen later in the day. Thenardier had been taking bets as to who would be victorious. There was plenty of things to think about, though the only thing on Eponine's mind was Marius Pontmercy as per usual.

She had briefly visited the barricade, only to be given a letter to deliver to _her. _What annoyed her most about Marius' newfound love of Cosette was that he hardly knew the girl, whereas he had known her for quite a while, though he had never shown any interest towards her other than to be her friend.

However, Montparnasse's mind was occupied with a million questions, the majority of them involving Eponine. He couldn't deny it any longer, he loved her; he had yet to figure out why, but he definitely did. Though that didn't mean he would confess it to anyone as it was hard enough to comprehend it himself, which he was still struggling to believe. Montparnasse had accepted that he would have to tell her eventually, though that day would be far ahead in the future.

"Where's Eponine?" he asked loudly, ignoring the fact that there were conversations going on.

"She's away delivering a letter for that curly-headed fop she's always going on about" Babet answered, looking over his shoulder at him.

"Cheers" Montparnasse replied, before sauntering out into the street and checking down every allay and street in a search for her; it wasn't safe to be outside when a revolutionary war could be occurring any minute.

He noticed a silhouette of what he was sure was a man. "Good afternoon, you wouldn't happen to have seen a brown haired-" Montparnasse stopped himself mid-sentence, laughing slightly as he realized that what he though was a boy was Eponine herself. "Why the hell are you dressed like a man?" he continued, trying in vain to stifle his laughing.

Eponine shook her head at his question.

"I'm going to the barricade, ok?" she replied quietly, mumbling her words in an attempt to keep him from hearing her.

"Are you serious? There's no way I'm letting you join those students" he responded, speaking at a fast pace and looking genuinely concerned about Eponine's safety as well as he sanity.

"I don't need your permission! I'm capable of making my own decisions and I have done for most of my life, so why do you need a say now?" Eponine answered, her tone getting slightly louder and angrier and scowling at him.

"Well, excuse me for caring! I'm probably the only one who does! I-" Montparnasse stated, almost shouting his words at her, though he was interrupted by Eponine before he could finish his sentence.

"You don't care. You don't care about anyone; its just in your nature" she butted-in, folding her arms turning around to walk away from him.

Montparnasse knew that no matter what happened, Eponine would still never listen to him. She was too obsessed with Marius to see sense in her idiotic idea of going to the barricade. He knew that it could be that last time he would speak with her, and that he had to make her aware of his feelings at that moment or to keep them to himself and hope for the best.

"I think you'll find that I do care. I've cared for a while now. Not that you've noticed, considering you're too busy following Marius like a lost lamb. Don't you understand that he'll never love you and he never will?" Montparnasse retorted, his voice significantly calmer than it had been only mere moments before.

"What are you trying to say?" Eponine questioned with wide eyes, though she was sure she knew what his answer would be.

"I think you know exactly what I'm trying to say" he answered, his voice shaking slightly.

"But you know what? You go to the barricade and find your precious Marius, if that's what you really want. I wish you the best of luck" Montparnasse compromised, getting a slight lump in his throat, but not allowing himself to cry. Dandies didn't cry…or at least not in front of anyone.

"Now I feel really guilty. Great." Eponine said sarcastically, before walking over and hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry, but I only see you as a friend, nothing more. Go; there will be a riot going on soon. I'll see you soon…hopefully." she continued, smiling weakly at him before walking towards where the barricade had been built.

At that moment, Montparnasse realized how similar his situation was to Eponine's. They were both in love with someone completely out of reach, they both watched the person that they loved fall for another. He finally felt that Eponine was going through; it hurt him like hell. Montparnasse felt bad for the way that he had treated her in the past, as he didn't fully understand the position that she was in with her life.

He stood there in silence, it felt like a weight off his shoulders. Though he had a new thing to worry about; Eponine's safety. He tried to convince himself that she might survive, though he knew that he was simply kidding himself. Montparnasse let a single tear roll off his cheek as soon as she was gone. He quickly wiped it, and sauntered away.

As Eponine walked towards the barricade, she felt a sharp pain as an object impacted her skin. It took her merely seconds to realize that it was a bullet, though she refused to lay down and become just another statistic. She continued to climb the barricade, until she saw the image of Marius; she knew that she wouldn't die as a lost cause. Eponine quickly confessed her feelings towards him, not caring that they weren't mutual. Afterwards, she simply lay in his arms, repenting all of the unholy things that she had been involved in during her life. When she was a child, her father had taught her a way to know if she would die after being shot; apparently if you could count all the way to 40, you would live. _The last thing she remembered was the number 37._

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if I got your hopes up m'dears, but if I had let Eponine live and be with Montparnasse, then Victor Hugo would probably be turning in his grave or haunt me or something. Personally I think they would be right for each other, I decided to keep with Hugo's storyline and kill her off. Boo hoo. Also, I forgot to mention, I OWN NOTHING. ZILCH. NADA. ZERO. I don't own Les Miserables, don't own any of the songs I've used to far either. So basically, I'm not Victor Hugo, Billy Joel or Steven Schwartz.<strong>

**There will be another chapter, but just one more I think...One Chapter More ;)**


	8. Huit

_The tramp of feet across the street was broken by the sound,_

_Of armored guards and rifle shots, and death was all around._

_Some ran to tend the fallen men, by cowards they were slain,_

_Now honest men, would never dare to walk on Paris' streets again._

Montparnasse had gone into mourning. The revolution had turned into a massacre. Thenardier had convinced him to help gather the belongings of the fallen; he had never seen so many bodies of the deceased in one place. There was bodies of people that he had known, though not particularly liked of spoken to. He assumed that Eponine had been killed in the process, which severely pained him but he knew that he would just have to move on with his life and pretend he thought nothing of it, as everyone else seemed to be doing.

He was going to miss her; he couldn't deny it, but life must go on; no one should let death hold them back. Montparnasse was angry at himself, more than he had ever been before. He couldn't help but think that if he had treated her with respect, that she wouldn't have needed Marius and he could've been all that she would ever have needed. At one point, Montparnasse had even hated her though with time his opinion had changed. He would never forgive himself for treating the poor defenseless creature that was Eponine Thenardier in such a way that he did. It was truly horrendous. Montparnasse recalled abusing her, both verbally and physically, as well using her for his own pleasures, mostly because he was aware that she was afraid of him. Eponine's life was his interpretation of hell on Earth.

Upon his return, Montparnasse noticed Marius limping alone the road with the aid of what seemed to be what he would call coffin dodger.

"Shouldn't you be dead like the rest of them?" Montparnasse shouted down the street, in a slightly mocking tone.

"Excuse me?" Marius replied, turning around slowly.

"You're Marius Pontmercy, yes?" he asked, approaching him.

"Yes, and you are?" Marius responded, raising an eyebrow at him.

Montparnasse smiled menacingly, he would make a perfect punching bag, not only because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but because he deserved it with what he had done, playing with Eponine's feelings and whatnot.

"The tooth fairy" Montparnasse mocked, laughing at his own joke though Marius didn't take it lightly.

"I do not appreciate arrogance" Marius responded, scowling at him.

"Well, I don't appreciate ignorance" Montparnasse retorted, shoving him to the ground before kicking him repeatedly at full force.

Montparnasse felt powerful again, knowing that he was hurting the person in fault for Eponine's death. Though after a moment, he realized that Marius wasn't genuinely to blame; it was the fault of Eponine herself. Marius obviously didn't intend for her to go to the barricade to die, no one would wish such a death even upon their worst enemy. He offered Marius a hand to help him stand up once again.

"Has no one ever told you not to attack a wounded man?" Marius exclaimed, a look of anger covering his face.

"Honestly, no; never in my life" Montparnasse replied, shaking his head. "I'm not what you would call conventional" he continued explaining, keeping a straight face.

"Who are you anyway? Do I know you? Your face is familiar" Marius questioned, looking at him.

"I'm Montparnasse…. Eponine's friend" Montparnasse replied, taking a short pause between phrases.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss" Marius responded, hanging his head before digging his hand into his pocket and pulling out a slightly ragged piece of paper. "She told me to give you this" he continued, handing him the piece of paper, before limping off into the darkness.

Montparnasse unfolded the letter, squinting slightly as he analyzed Eponine's messy handwriting

It read:

_**Montparnasse,**_

_**I hate you… sometimes. No, in fact, I'm lying. I don't hate you, not even a little bit. I used to though, definitely, but that's in the past now, isn't it? I just hope you don't hate me, because if you do, you're going to be haunted for years. That was my failed attempt at comedy. Damn it. I know of the likely consequences, but it wouldn't make a difference. Don't blame yourself, if there's anyone at fault its me. I guess I've wasted time on people I should never have bothered with (you know exactly who I'm talking about) and I've cried over stupid things, but at least now I know who my real friends are. J**__**ust remember, someone will be smiling down (or more likely, up) at you; and quite possibly laughing at the madness you tend to cause.**_

_**Eponine x**_

Montparnasse sighed quietly, his eyes threatening to cry yet again. That was all he needed, closure. All he could do now was take life by one day at a time.

He thought to himself…

_The sunny days seem to hurt the most,_

_I wear the pain like a heavy coat._

_The only things that gives me hope,_

_Is I know I'll see you again someday…_

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand we're done. I hoped you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I couldn't really continue it any longer, or it would have become quite repetitive, and that would suck. I'm in the mood to write something else now, if you guys have any suggestions as to what, message me or leave in a review, cos I cannot think of anything. Damn. The songs that I have used throughout the chapters are the following, in order:<strong>

**She's Always a Woman To Me - Billy Joel**

**For Good - Wicked (Steven Schwartz lyrics)**

**Derry's Streets - Summerfly (This songs was originally about bloody sunday in Ireland, but I changed the lyrics slightly so it made sense)**

**Who You'd Be Today - Kenny Chesney (If you're choosing music for a funeral, listen to that song, the lyrics are golden) **

**Once again, I OWN NOTHING.**


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